After a while, thick smoke rose from a corner of Konoha. Flames surged higher and higher, and faint sounds of combat carried through the air.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils shrank.
Others might not recognize the location but he did.
That was Root's base.
Shimura Danzō's headquarters.
Had they already uncovered this hidden place? If so, then beyond what Namikaze Kirito had just revealed… how many secrets had already been dragged into the light?
As shock rippled through the crowd, Yakushi Kabuto walked forward at an unhurried pace, a massive sphere of water floating beside him.
Water Release: Water Prison Technique.
Yet this was nothing like the ordinary version.
The water sphere was etched with dark sealing runes, twisting unnaturally across its surface, radiating an ominous aura.
"Leader," Kabuto said calmly, adjusting his glasses.
"I completed the task without failure."
He set the water prison down.
Everyone present stared.
Inside the sphere was none other than Shimura Danzō.
Meanwhile, Danzō himself was utterly bewildered.
He had been inside the base, listening to reports from his subordinates. The moment he sensed danger and attempted to escape, the enemy struck directly at the entrance.
They knew his secrets.
They avoided killing techniques entirely, preventing him from activating Izanagi through his Sharingan. Instead, they sealed him with absolute precision. Trapped within this prison, even suicide was impossible.
Namikaze Kirito stepped forward, stopping in front of the water sphere. He tapped it lightly with a finger.
With a sharp crack, the prison shattered.
Danzō tumbled out, stumbling to the ground, panic flashing across his face.
But when he looked up, he froze.
The surrounding shinobi showed no surprise.
ANBU had already delivered everything.
He understood immediately.
Danzō lifted his head, locking eyes with Namikaze Kirito, his voice low and venomous.
"Namikaze Kirito… the greatest mistake I ever made was not killing you back then. And now—you've come for me."
Kirito merely smiled, unfazed.
"Shimura Danzō. Sarutobi Hiruzen. Old friends reunited at last."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Why don't you tell everyone what you've been doing all these years?"
Unlike Hiruzen's silence, Danzō erupted.
"I am an elder of Konoha! He is the Third Hokage!"
He shouted furiously.
"What do you intend to do? Rebellion?! Are you trying to destroy the village?!"
"It seems you still don't understand," Kirito replied calmly.
"Then allow me to enlighten you."
Kabuto stepped forward, a faint, unsettling smile on his face.
Before either Hiruzen or Danzō could react, sharp pain struck the backs of their necks.
Both collapsed instantly.
Under the horrified gazes of everyone present, the two began to speak.
They recounted everything.
The shadows behind the village.
The experiments.
The purges.
The sacrifices made in secret.
Such acts weren't unheard of in the ninja world. Even Sunagakure had once sold its own Scorch Release kunoichi, Pakura, to Kirigakure to secure an alliance.
But hearing it all laid bare spoken plainly, without concealment was different.
Faces darkened.
Civilians clenched their fists.
Clan leaders felt their blood run cold.
The Third Hokage.
Konoha's elder.
The men they had trusted… had committed countless unforgivable acts.
Even Orochimaru's madness paled in comparison.
This was true political cruelty—using any means necessary to reach a goal.
When the confession ended, clarity returned to their eyes.
Hiruzen and Danzō stirred awake, disoriented. But the suffocating atmosphere made them realize instantly—something was wrong.
Every gaze fixed on them.
Killing intent flooded the square.
Combined with Kabuto's words, the truth became obvious.
"You scum!"
Hiruzen roared, glaring at Kabuto.
"Oh?" Kabuto replied mildly, pushing up his glasses.
"Coming from you, Third Hokage… I'll take that as praise. But compared to you, I still have much to learn."
Hiruzen fell silent. After a long pause, he sighed deeply.
"This is my responsibility," he said slowly.
"I allowed Danzō to act as he pleased. He was my friend… I will bear the blame."
Danzō snapped.
"You bastard!"
He snarled.
"So now you throw everything onto me? Without your permission, would I have done any of this? Would ANBU have stood by without your orders?! You wash your hands clean—how fitting of you, Hiruzen!"
"Hush, Danzō," Hiruzen replied calmly, that familiar compassionate expression returning.
"Everything has already been exposed."
"Damn you, Sarutobi Hiruzen!"
Danzō trembled with rage.
He excelled at dirty work but against Hiruzen's political finesse, he had always been outmatched.
"Hahaha."
Kirito clapped his hands lightly.
"What a performance. Truly impressive."
Even now, Hiruzen still believed he could salvage the situation.
But the filth was already too deep.
Didn't he notice Namikaze Minato's gaze—burning with restrained fury?
"Namikaze Kirito—must be eliminated!"
Suddenly, Danzō lunged forward, a kunai flashing in his hand.
But Kirito merely smiled.
No Sharingan.
No Susanoo.
Yet...
His power was no weaker.
Hand seals snapped together.
"Wood Release: Wood Golem Technique!"
BOOM!
A colossal wooden giant erupted from the ground.
Danzō's kunai struck uselessly against its massive foot as the platform beneath them shattered under the golem's weight.
Thankfully, shinobi had already cleared the civilians from the area.
The wooden giant stood tall.
Beside it, the One-Tailed Beast, Shukaku, lay sprawled across the ground.
The sight was overwhelming.
Danzō stared up at the towering construct, terror etched into his face.
"Impossible…!"
His voice shook as disbelief crept in.
"This can't be real—how can you use Wood Release?!"
The entire crowd stood frozen.
Wood Release once more had appeared before their eyes.
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